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Atlas/Asia Minor
In ancient times, it was said that there was a culture or a people present in Anatolia which was called Assuwa, which when corrupted by the Greeks of Ionia became "Asia". Since then, however, the Greeks have used that garbled name to denote that portion of the world east of their world beyond the thin fringe of Ionia. These lands consist of the three regions of "Little Asia" — Anatolia, Euxinia and Transcaucasia by the shores of the Pontic and Hyrcanian Seas. For many years the entire Greek race was mostly at war with the Persians, but now they rule supreme. Notes While Asia Minor is nothing in size compared to the whopping 17 territories which form Asia Major, it is still a strategic point in the map which separates the European parts of the world from the rest of Asia: while Hellas is densely populated and contested by the four Greek powers, the other factions to the east such as the Seleucids and the Armenians actually have plenty of room for growing around. This results in some fairly interesting gameplay for those who are geographically invested in the region, such as the Hellenic factions which normally are scattered between the regions of Anatolia and Archaea Hellas in the Aegean, as control of the two crossing points into Europe - Anatolia and Euxinia - are vital in keeping any pan-Asian power, particularly the Seleucids and Parthians, out of Europe, given their proximity. However, for a faction located far away like the Celtiberi or the Numidians, the distance could well make any prospect of controlling Anatolia to keep a Seleucid invasion at bay a strategic afterthought to be dealt with only when sufficient resources abound. Resource-wise Asia Minor is a mixed bag: some areas like Atropatene and Cilicia are dirt-poor, while others such as Transcaucasia These three mountain kingdoms form a route between the Euxine Sea and the Hyrcanian Sea. Long part of the late Persian empire, the strategic location these three territories occupy has come to the fore for outsiders seeking profits and power. Atropatene *Alternate name: Adhurbadagan; Atropaktan *Corresponds to: Azerbaijan Rumours have it that the rocks here bleed a strange dark substance which has been used by builders and craftsmen alike for mortar whereso needed. Colchis *Alternate name: Colchis et Iberia, Kolketi da Kartli *Corresponds to: Kartvelia Hayasdan The heart of the Armenian empire is located in these forbidding mountains. Anatolia *Owned by: Pergamon (Ionia), Egypt (Cilicia) The "land of the rising sun", Anatolia, was one of the first few places in Asia to be colonised by Greek-speaking peoples. A huge and ancient land, the home of the goddess Kybele boasts cities powerful and strong enough to even challenge the likes of Athens and Alexandria, yet has an ancient and primeval heart where its original inhabitants still live, with forested hills covering its western territories, and harsh and unforgiving mountains ablaze with snow and thunder abounding in its east where they stretch into the Caucasus and Persia. Ionia *Alternate names: Bithynia (?), Pergamon *Corresponds to: Bosporus The very first of Greek expansion into Asia, Ionia consists of all the lands which were settled from the west, and is now the seat of power for the former kingdom of Thrace — now known as Pergamum. Ionia is also the seat of a thriving slave trade in which the luckless and the defeated are herded in long caravans to the Greek cities to await the same famous fate inflicted on two celebrities thought to have been born here: Cassandra and Hecuba. Cilicia *Corresponds to: Galatia (se) The narrow strait between Asia Minor and the island of Cyprus, dotted with secluded coves sheltered by rocky sea cliffs makes it the perfect hiding place for pirates who ply their grisly trade on the unwary and unwilling alike. Cappadocia *Alternate names: Katpatuka *Corresponds to: Cappadocia This horn-hard land is known as the former home of the dreaded Hittites, and was a former satrapy of the Persian Empire. The political porousness of its elite makes it a perfect place to hatch treachery against its neighbours. Galatia *Alternate names: Galatia; Ephesus; Phrygia *Corresponds to: Galatia Following the fall of the Celtic warlord Brennus, the Celtic hordes which attempted to conquer Greece following Alexander's death were beaten back, but one clann of Celts fled from certain death at the hands of the Greeks and consequently settled here This land is also known as the centre of the cult of Cybele or Magna Mater, an earth goddess whose worship has become increasingly popular especially in the West. Category:Armenians Category:Pergamenes Category:Atlas